• For your consideration: An unofficial grassroots effort to support The Dark Knight for the 2008 Academy Awards called The Dark Campaign has launched.
• For the Oscar "in memoriam" montage: Robert Mulligan passed away Friday at age 83. He earned a best director nomination for To Kill A Mockingbird and directed five different actors in Oscar-nominated performances; Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Natalie Wood, Ruth Gordon and Ellen Burstyn all shined in his films with Peck winning the best actor prize for To Kill A Mockingbird.
• It's an honor just to be presenting. Seth Rogen, Amy Poehler Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek will all be presenters at the 66th Golden Globe Awards.
• The Canada Revenue Agency lowered the percentage that can be claimed for producer fees but didn't tell Canadian producers about the change. In case you haven't heard: There's now a maximum 10% cap on claims for producer fees with a 10% write-off for corporate overhead. At least the sinking Loonie means there's work in Vancouver.
• All those press appearances by Mickey Rourke are paying off. At least, for the movie. The Wrestler did great business in its debut Wednesday at four theaters in New York and Los Angeles.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
BIZ
Tax rebate changes rile producers
from Film Journal by Adina Lebo
Canadian producers are up in arms over a move by the Canada
Revenue Agency to shrink their tax rebate checks.
Down Under production rises with fall of Aussie, N.Z. dollars
from Film Journal by David Pearce
The falling Kiwi and Oz dollars mean more film production
coming Down Under. During early 2008, the Australian and
Summit up! 'Twilight' marks new dawn for fast-rising studio
from Film Journal by Doris Toumarkine
It's impossible to write a word about Summit Entertainment
LLC without referencing the phenomenal success of its surprise fangirl hit Twilight,
adapted from the first of author Stephenie Meyer's popular book series.
Political ads boost local TV station revenue
from Hollywood Reporter by By Paul J. Gough
Political ad revenue eased what has been a tough year for
local TV stations.
SAG STRIKE?
from Variety.com
Business News:
SAG president Alan Rosenberg: We shall overcome
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Lynette Rice
Despite increased rancor from east coast members, SAG
president Alan Rosenberg remains resolute in his hope to secure a strike
authorization vote in the new year.
FESTIVALS
Palm Springs fest unveils lineup
from The Hollywood Reporter - Awards by By Gregg Kilday
Joel Hopkins' "Last Chance Harvey," starring
Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, will screen as the opening-night film at the
20th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Berlinale unveils first Perspectives
from The Hollywood Reporter - Awards by By Scott Roxborough
"Distance," a drama from first-timer Thomas Sieben, will open the Perspectives on German Cinema sidebar at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.
SUNDANCE
Doors Documentary Revisits 'Strange' Days
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
As first tipped here in May, the Doors documentary
"When You're Strange" will premiere Jan. 17 at the Sundance Film
Festival.
Stars and snow are draws at Sundance Film Festival
from Google Alerts - "sundance film festival" by Seattle
Times -
By Leigh Dyer CAROLYN KASTER / AP Jay Moses of
AWARDS
from Variety.com
TV News: Rogen, Poehler, Hayek to present -- Seth Rogen, Amy
Poehler, Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek have been tapped as presenters for the
66th Golden Globe Awards.
The nominations for the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild
Awards were announced Thursday morning. "Doubt" earned nominations
for each major member of its cast as well as an overall outstanding cast
nomination, and "Frost/Nixon" and "Benjamin Button" also
did well.
Oscar Watch: Can Dark Knight Fans Make the Difference?
Coolest New Campaign (That's Not Costing Warner Bros. a
Dime): Dark Campaign, a self-described grassroots effort to score a Best
Picture nomination for The Dark Knight
from Entertainment Weekly's Oscar Watch by Dave Karger
This week sees the opening of one film that's sure to score
at least a couple Oscar nominations (The Wrestler) and one that's a very
deserving long shot in two acting categories (Nothing But the Truth) but has
the misfortune...
'Slumdog' leads London critics' noms
from Hollywood Reporter by By Stuart Kemp
Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" continued to
wow critics, leading the field for next year's London Film Critics' Circle
awards.
from Variety.com - Award Central News
Award Central News: 'Wendy and Lucy' given Russell Smith
prize -- The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Assn. has tabbed "Slumdog
Millionaire" as the best pic of 2008. Helmer Danny Boyle also won for top
director.
from Variety.com - Award Central News
Award Central News: Reichardt's feature named best film of 2008 -- "Wendy and Lucy," Kelly Reichardt's feature about a transient woman and her dog, beat "Rachel Getting Married" and "Wall-E" to win the Toronto Film Critics Assn.'s best picture award, the organization will announce today.
from Variety.com - Award Central News
Award Central News: Animated feature wins four awards -- The Chicago Film Critics Assn. has named Disney/Pixar's "Wall-E" the best pic of 2008. In addition to top honors, the toon also picked up prizes for original screenplay (Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon), score (Thomas Newman) and animated feature.
MOVIES
Weekend Box Office: December 19-21, 2008
from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results
Yes Man tops the box office with an estimated $18.2 million
'Madagascar 2' dethrones 'Earth' overseas
from Hollywood Reporter by By Hy Hollinger
"
Mickey Rourke's 'The Wrestler' Opens Big!
from Box Office Boffo
This just in: Darren Aronofsky's Mickey Rourke
starrer "The Wrestler" did great business in its debut Wednesday at
four theaters in
Marisa Tomei: A no-holds-barred acting job in 'Wrestler'
from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories
She shows almost all in The Wrestler, but in person, Marisa
Tomei is the anti-exhibitionist. She's self-contained and soft-spoken, ...
Mike 'Mad Dog' Bell found dead
from Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider by Mike Bruno
Former pro wrestler Mike "Mad Dog" Bell, whose
substance abuse was featured in this year's documentary Bigger, Stronger,
Faster (directed by Mad Dog's brother Chris Bell), was found dead earlier this
week at a rehab home in Newport Beach, Calif....
from Hollywood Reporter by By Duane Byrge
Robert Mulligan, who directed "To Kill a
Mockingbird" and "Summer of '42," among other films, died Friday
of heart disease at his
'Seven Pounds' can be a bit of a load
Will Smith stars in a romantic mystery that is more downbeat
than his recent output.
Will Smith: Road to 'Seven Pounds'
from EW.com: Movies
By Gretchen Hansen
See how the star built his powerhouse career, from his
''Fresh Prince'' days to ''Ali'' to soaring, superhero-style, over
Frank Miller eyes big-screen 'Buck Rogers'
from Hollywood Reporter by By Steven Zeitchik and Borys Kit
Frank Miller and Odd Lot Entertainment are close to teaming
again on the classic sci-fi property "Buck Rogers."
Full 'Che' for two more frames
from Hollywood Reporter by By Carl DiOrio
Moviegoers are getting another chance to cha-cha-cha to the
full four-hour-plus version of Steven Soderbergh's "Che."
EXCLUSIVE: Baz Luhrmann Going 'Gatsby'
from Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily by Nikki Finke
He just paid tribute to his home country in the epic
David Fincher and 'Benjamin Button'
The director of blood-spattered 'Se7en,' and 'Fight Club'
takes a heart-rending turn.
Lovable rodents and a fussy French chef -- there's a soupçon
of "Ratatouille" in "The Tale of Despereaux," but this
old-fashioned fable cares not a whit about culinary competition or
entrepreneurial triumph. It revolves around matters as elemental as grief and
longing, the stuff of fairy tales.
Stephen
Chow No Longer Directing 'The Green Hornet'
from Splash Page by Elisabeth Rappe
Seth Rogen's remake of "The Green Hornet" has just hit a snag, like all of the Hornet adaptations before it. According to Variety, it lost its director, Stephen Chow.
TELEVISION
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker rates ''Mad Men,'' ''Fringe,'' and a trio of
late-night shows in top 10. Plus: The five worst
Another Late-Night Contender Emerges
from NYT > Television
Spike Feresten is about to be anointed, more or less, the
great night hope for Fox -- late night, that is.
Chiklis is creating a drama about investor fraud
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By FRAZIER MOORE
NBC News' Todd, Guthrie to cover White House
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
Chris Matthews eyeing return to NBC
from Hollywood Reporter by By Paul J. Gough
MSNBC may find out soon whether "Hardball" host Chris Matthews returns to the channel, which has been invigorated in the ratings.
NAACP report find TV networks lagging in diversity
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nearly a decade after the NAACP condemned a "virtual whiteout" in broadcast TV, the civil rights group said major networks have stalled in their efforts to further ethnic diversity on-screen and off....
'Canadian Idol' canceled in 2009
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
Bruckheimer, Bay ready for 'Cocaine'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
GSN reviving 'The Newlywed Game'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
CULVER
'Dollhouse': Exclusive sneak peek!
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Joss Whedon fans! Michael ''Santa Claus'' Ausiello has a
gift for you: a clip of Eliza Dushku from episode 1
Billy Zane joins 'Samantha Who?'
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello confirms exclusively that the ''Titanic''
baddie will replace Timothy Olyphant as Sam's ex
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello confirms exclusively that a seemingly
Henry-esque hottie has been cast -- with big plans
Fox Business Network suing Treasury
from Hollywood Reporter by By Paul J. Gough
The Fox Business Network is suing the U.S. Treasury Department in federal court under the Freedom of Information Act after the Bush administration failed to hand over details about the bailout.
MUSIC
Music industry drops effort to sue song swappers
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The group representing the
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
U2's twelfth studio album, "No Line on the
Horizon," will arrive March 3 from Interscope. A track list for the set,
which was produced by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, has not
been announced.
Edge says new U2 album sounds different
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Morrissey Inks U.S. Deal, Plots Spring Tour
from Billboard News - All by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Morrissey has inked a
Boom in music video games helps original artists
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "This song is dedicated to Debbie Harry," flinty-eyed Lisa Hsuan purrs into a microphone on the red-lit stage of Hyperion Tavern. It's a cozy dive where patrons drink Coke and beer from bottles and a fading chandelier dangles overhead...
Joel, John Tour Tickets Selling Briskly
from Billboard News - All by Ray Waddell,
In a positive sign for the 2009 touring season, sales for
the upcoming Billy Joel/Elton John co-headlining tour are "through the
roof," according to Wilson Howard, president, Live Nation Music Southeast,
who calls the tour "a smash."
Barenaked Ladies Assembling Boxed Set
from Billboard News - All by Gary Graff,
After a tumultuous year, particularly for its two lead
singers, Barenaked Ladies are looking ahead to a 2009 in which the Canadian
quintet will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a boxed set and, hopefully,
some new music.
Pop top-10 lists, and 2008's recommended albums
In the grand tradition of top-10 list-making, we bring you
rankings from each Pop & Hiss contributor.
Police: Hilton's home burglarized, jewelry missing
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles police are investigating a
burglary at Paris Hilton's home they say left her bedroom ransacked and about
$2 million in jewelry missing...
Jermaine Dupri says Janet Jackson is not pregnant
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
Aretha Franklin To Sing At Obama Inauguration
from Billboard News - All
Aretha Franklin will sing, the Rev. Rick Warren will pray
and more than 11,000
Paris court OKs 'Les Miserables' sequels
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Warner Music videos removed from YouTube
